More air bag deaths possible Carmakers say testing changes would require stronger deployment October 28, 1999 BY JANET L. FIX
DETROIT FREE PRESS WASHINGTON STAFF WASHINGTON -- The number of children and small women killed and injured by air bags would climb again if federal regulators don't protect recent safety gains, automakers warned Wednesday. The automakers fear that federal safety regulators will install a new air bag plan that would force manufacturers to put more aggressive air bags -- like those used in vehicles prior to 1998 -- back in new vehicles starting in 2003. Automakers would be forced to return to "air bags that are lethal to children and small women," said Robert Lange, General Motors Corp.'s top safety official. He issued the warning Wednesday on behalf of 11 automakers, including Ford Motor Co., DaimlerChrysler AG, Toyota Motor Co., BMW AG, and Nissan Motor Co. The warning came one day after the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration released a study that declared redesigned air bags in 1998 model-year and newer vehicles safer and less deadly than those in older vehicles. Air bags have been blamed for 146 deaths, mostly women and children. But there have been only two deaths in 1998-model vehicles, whose air bags deploy with about 20-percent less force than older bags. And there have been no air bag deaths in 1999 models, which use the same design. NHTSA used fatal-crash data, agency crash tests and air bag information from automakers for its study. Now, NHTSA is preparing to release as early as next week its plan for ushering in a new generation of technically sophisticated, so-called smart air bags starting in 2003. These bags would use sensors to detect crash severity and occupant size to determine how forcefully to deploy. At the heart of the battle between the automakers and NHTSA is how the smart air bags would be tested. One of the tests NHTSA appears to be leaning toward would put an unbelted dummy representing a 170-pound male into the driver's seat of a vehicle that is crashed into a barrier at 30 miles per hour. This is essentially the same test that was used to certify the air bags in 1990-97 model-year vehicles that were blamed for killing 56 drivers, mostly women, and 84 children, most of whom were improperly belted. Automakers contend using this type of test again will cause the same problem are lobbying federal regulators in hopes of getting new air bag rules and testing procedures they could live with. They argue that, if the test is run at faster than 25 miles per hour, they would have to install stronger air bags in vehicles again. If automakers return to the old design, "how many more deaths will we see? Probably not 140, but we could see 50 or 60 more," said Vann Wilber, director of safety engineering for the Alliance of Automakers, a lobbying group that represents 11 major auto manufacturers. "We consider even one death unacceptable." The automakers also are hoping to contain what they see as grandiose expectations -- by consumer advocates, regulators, and consumers -- of what air bags will be able to do by 2003. The reality is, the smart bag "technology has been oversold," said Christopher Tinto, manager of government relations for Toyota Motor Co. of America. Automakers said the smart bags won't be able to perfectly detect and adjust for the difference between a 10-year-old passenger and a passenger who is a short woman. JANET L. FIX can be reached at 202-383-6053 or jfix@krwashington.com. | 
